Our Bench
by awkwardfangirlwritesfanfiction
Summary: Old habits die hard - Emma and Regina spent their Thursday lunch breaks on a bench overlooking Storybrooke's docks ever since Emma became Sheriff. Can the tradition carry on after the curse and everything else has happened?


**Of _course_ I wrote a one-shot starring the Bench :') I hope you enjoy SWEN!**

* * *

"Already slacking off when you are the sole person protecting this town now, Sheriff?" Regina slowed her steps as she approached the newly appointed Sheriff, who was currently enjoying a burger, sitting on a bench which overlooks Storybrooke's docks. Emma reflexively rolled her eyes when she heard the Mayor approaching, and prepared herself for the lecture that was surely heading her way.

"It's my lunch break" Emma stated, waving her burger towards Regina as to prove her point. Regina screwed her face in disgust at the grease packed bun, and briefly looked down to her own lunch - a fresh salad encased in a plastic container, simple but healthy.

"Crime doesn't have a break, Ms. Swan" Emma snorted at the cheesy line and briefly wondered if Henry had started an obsession with superhero movies and some of the lines stuck with Regina.

"It's Storybrooke, Regina. And I have my cell and my police radio. No worries." Emma looked up at the Mayor, who was still standing near the other end of the bench, looking uncharacteristically uneasy. "You alright?" Emma tilted her head slightly, looking Regina up and down.

"Yes." Came Regina's snappy reply. Although used to the Mayor's uptight attitude, Emma's neck jerked back slightly, and she put her hands up, one still holding her half eaten burger. "Sorry I asked" Emma went back to eating her lunch, but after her second chew she realised Regina had not moved. She eyed her, questioning Regina with her eyes, not risking talking again. Regina sighed and lifted her salad slightly.

"This is where I have my lunch on Thursday's." She mumbled, sounding weirdly ashamed of sharing this with Emma. She looked at Emma who was looking at her like she'd grown another head. So, after sighing again, she continued. "I sit here." Emma blinked at Regina, and then looked down at the space on the bench that could comfortably fit another two people.

"There's plenty of room. Besides, you can't rent out a bench. Wait...can you? Cause if you can the power has _definitely_ gone to your head." Regina rolled her eyes, but stayed rooted where she stood. She was hoping the Sheriff would get the message and leave, everyone else did with one warning look from the Mayor, but of course Ms. Swan would waste her time and make it difficult.

"I do not have to 'rent out' the bench, Sheriff. I would like to have my lunch in peace and quiet" Emma smirked, knowing how badly Regina wanted her to leave, her bites getting smaller and the chewing slowed down.

"Then be my guest, _Madame Mayor_" Regina didn't move for a few moments, but just as Emma rolled her eyes and looked away, the Mayor sat down, clearly irritated.

Feeling as if she'd won a small battle, Emma grinned. That grin turned into a grimace when she saw the meagre 'meal' Regina was now taking elegant forkfuls of.

"You call that lunch?" Regina gave a sideways glance to Emma, almost forgetting she was there.

"I could say the same thing to you, Ms. Swan" Emma looked down to her burger, and when she found nothing wrong with it, she shrugged to herself and took another bite. Looking over again at Regina's salad, Emma reached into her Granny's takeout bag and pulled out the carton of fries. She tilted them towards Regina.

"Want some?" Regina sighed for what felt like the hundredth time this lunch break, and without looking towards Emma or the offered fries, replied. "No. I do not. And I do recall agreeing to peace and quiet." Emma just set the carton of fries in between them.

"Well, if you decide to actually eat, the offer still stands" Emma took a few fries for herself, and then went back to her almost finished burger.

The minutes pass by, and the two women had unknowingly fallen into a comfortable silence. Regina had eyed the fries a few times, and when she was sure Emma was not looking, she quickly took one, and nibbled at it as if it was dangerous. Once getting the taste for them, however, the fries quickly disappeared.

Pleased with herself for the second time that lunch, Emma almost wasn't sad all her fries were gone. She mentally told herself to get a larger size next time. Wait. _Next time_? Emma shook her head slightly to rid herself of those thoughts, and finished up. She was about to bid the Mayor goodbye when she realised Regina had already left. She could faintly hear the sound of heels clicking away, and she watched the retreating figure eventually go out of sight.

_That was weird_, She thought to herself, and put her rubbish in the bin. Giving one last look to the bench she was sat on, Emma carried on with her day.

* * *

Without meaning to, Regina and Emma found themselves spending their lunch break together every Thursday. Emma would be sitting on the far left on their bench (and it seems it is _their_ bench now, Emma jokingly stating that they have in fact rented out the bench now, then things when silent when she accidently referred to the bench as 'ours') and Regina would arrive shortly after, situating herself on the other end of their bench. Emma would be tucking into her burger while Regina eats her salad, and after a few minutes Emma would take out the (much larger) carton of fries and set it out in between them. Regina wouldn't take any fries until Emma starts grabbing some for herself, and she waits until Emma looks away before nibbling on the fries.

Most of the time the women would sit in silence, simply enjoying the company (though they would never admit this to themselves), sometimes, they would carry on their argument that they had that week, though it was more hushed and mostly consisted of sighs and rolling of eyes. And even rarer, they would engage in pleasant conversation, neither realising it until they were running late on their lunch break and would turn back into their fiery relationship the next day.

It had been a long time since they had last had lunch together on a Thursday. Things like a curse breaking, getting sucked into a portal and paying back a favour kind of got in the way of their weekly tradition.

* * *

It's Thursday night and Emma was sitting on their bench, thinking back to times when fairy-tales and curses didn't exist. She turned her head to look at the empty side of the bench and sighed. The last time Emma had saw Regina was when she falsely accused her of murder and caused that look of betrayal across Regina's face before she disappeared in a flash of purple smoke.

Emma sat cross-legged, staring at the big book on her lap, getting lost in her thoughts. She broke out of her daze when she heard the familiar clicking of heels approaching.

"Aren't you supposed to be protecting the town, _Saviour_?" Emma automatically smirked as she lifted her head, all the craziness of the past couple of months going out of her thoughts for the moment as she fell into the easy banter with Regina.

"Funny seeing you here. On a Thursday." A small smile appeared on Regina's face as she sat on her side of their bench; her body slightly turning to face Emma.

"I guess old habits die hard. Even though this is incredibly late for a lunch break" Both women were glad that they were avoiding talking about the more heavy topics.

"I didn't bring any fries, it wouldn't have been the same anyway" Emma said quite wistfully, truly missing their little tradition. Regina hummed in agreement.

"Maybe we can do it right next time" Regina mumbled, and Emma whipped her head round to look at the former Mayor, knowing she was referring to so much more than just their lunch. Regina kept her eyes to the ground, avoiding Emma's gaze.

After a while, Emma smiled to herself, pushing all her complicated thoughts and feelings away, and decided to enjoy this moment. The explaining and apologizing and arguing can wait.

"Yeah. Maybe we can" Emma softly said, and looked out to the sea. She felt Regina relax, and they sat on their bench in a comfortable silence, both feeling safer than they had in a long time.


End file.
